The holistic powers of Tenerife

[Big Doopie]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vinokourov-impressed-by-his-dauphine-debut

Alexandre Vinokourov has showed the form of the best days of his career as he took second place at the prologue of the Dauphiné behind Lars Boom in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. The 37 year-old went beyond his own expectations..."This is a formidable result," he told Cyclingnews from his hotel after the prologue. "I thought I could make the top ten but my legs were turning even better than expected..."

He hasn't raced for a month but went for a training camp in Tenerife with eight other riders from Astana.

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

Chief Wiggins has also been 'altitude training there

Wiggins has opted for a change in his buildup to the Tour this year, missing out the Giro d'Italia and training in Tenerife to accustom his body to racing at high altitude.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/jun/03/bradley-wiggins-dauphine-libere

Didn't Levi used to go on holiday there and 'accidentally' find himself sharing hotel with M.Ferrari?

 

[cineteq]

Team Radioshack sports director [Gallopin] said: "He [Janez Brajkovic] works very hard, he could be on a training camp in Tenerife all year round. We have to cool him down. He is a rider whose peaks of form are pretty short so the goal is that he is at 100% on the Tour. Not before.

http://www.radsport-forum.de/frame/f59891.htm

 

[Andynonomous]

Is there such a thing as "altitute training" in Tenerife ?

 

[cineteq]

Is there such a thing as "altitute training" in Tenerife ?

In theory, yes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teide?

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

Cuddles has also been 'altitude training' although the squeaky one won't say where.

I went to a training camp at altitude

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/evans-ready-for-criterium-du-dauphine

Altitude training - its the new higher cadence.

 

[Willy_Voet]

Riding on Tenerife must get boring. There are about 15 miles of rode above 5000 ft, which is where you start to appreciate a difference.

Anyone been there who can enlighten me on the exact route these guys do on an island the size of thumbtack?

 

[Big Doopie]

...and i'm sure the uci tells its testers to never ever go there.

 

[cineteq]

Anyone been there who can enlighten me on the exact route these guys do on an island the size of thumbtack?

I used to live there, so this is pretty much where they train: http://www.tenerife-training.net/Cy...es-Rides-Tours/Cycle-Training-Mount-Teide.php

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWQQhG3SKrg

 

[Andynonomous]

That's "altitude training" ?

I used to live there, so this is pretty much where they train: http://www.tenerife-training.net/Cy...es-Rides-Tours/Cycle-Training-Mount-Teide.php

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWQQhG3SKrg

I would have thought that altitude training is when you STAY at altitude when training, not start at sea level, climb to altitude, then descend back to sea level. No ?

 

[rata de sentina]

I would have thought that altitude training is when you STAY at altitude when training, not start at sea level, climb to altitude, then descend back to sea level. No ?

There's different approaches to altitude training, for example you can live low-train high or live high-train low or other permutations. Sports physiologists go crazy arguing about which is 'best', I asked a friend about this once because it's his field and he just rolled his eyes.

 

[Big Doopie]

if they were really doing altitude training in tenerife i would never have posted this in the clinic.

in 2005, armstrong had a horrendous prologue in paris-nice. he left for tenerife and met with ferrari and two weeks later he was with the strongest at the tour de flandres.

that's why riders go to tenerife. it can have very sudden and magical effects on your racing abilities.

 

[rata de sentina]

if they were really doing altitude training in tenerife i would never have posted this in the clinic.

in 2005, armstrong had a horrendous prologue in paris-nice. he left for tenerife and met with ferrari and two weeks later he was with the strongest at the tour de flandres.

that's why riders go to tenerife. it can have very sudden and magical effects on your racing abilities.

I think the main point was whether 'altitude' training in Tenerife was a plausible cover story that could be used. Of course you are correct that Ferrari and Fuentes especially are well known in Tenerife.

 

[Andynonomous]

It's the "sea air".

Aren't Majorca, and la Costa Brava therapeutic as well ?

 

[MarkvW]

I would have thought that altitude training is when you STAY at altitude when training, not start at sea level, climb to altitude, then descend back to sea level. No ?

Train low, sleep high.

 

[hrotha]

Doping aside, Tenerife is still a perfect place for altitude training, and altitude training is a perfectly legitimate thing. This thread is the equivalent of saying "he's a pro, therefore he dopes".

 

[Le breton]

Riding on Tenerife must get boring. There are about 15 miles of rode above 5000 ft, which is where you start to appreciate a difference.

Anyone been there who can enlighten me on the exact route these guys do on an island the size of thumbtack?

I was in Tenerife (South part) once (2001) for a one-week family vacation. Rented a mountain bike (couldn't find a road bike). Great place to train : dry, sun, not too hot in mid-february. Saw a number of teams training there. Enough roads to keep you busy and safe and interested by the sights. Better than places like, say, at random, Maryland or Oxford area.

 

[khardung la]

I lived in Tenerife 5 years. Plenty of good roads at more than 2000 m (even 2500m), and not only in Las Canadas as many people seem to think (i.e. Tacoronte to Izana, plenty of different roads to climb high there). There are many less-known areas with great rides and climbs, like in Anaga in the NE of the island or close to Santiago del Teide in the West)

In that time cyclists used to sleep at the Parador de Las Canadas (2200 m o.s.l), I don´t know if they still do that or there are now other nice hotels even higher.

The island is ideal because you can try many different roads, have long and constant climbs (not that steep in general), great weather all the year around, beautiful landscapes....Probably it is true that Ferrari et al use it as a base, but that does not mean that cyclists can not do altitude training and have perfect training conditions there.

 

[JPM London]

Train slow, sleep all n(h)ight.

Yeah, that's exactly what I do

 

[Lanark]

I lived in Tenerife 5 years. Plenty of good roads at more than 2000 m (even 2500m), and not only in Las Canadas as many people seem to think (i.e. Tacoronte to Izana, plenty of different roads to climb high there). There are many less-known areas with great rides and climbs, like in Anaga in the NE of the island or close to Santiago del Teide in the West)

In that time cyclists used to sleep at the Parador de Las Canadas (2200 m o.s.l), I don´t know if they still do that or there are now other nice hotels even higher.

The island is ideal because you can try many different roads, have long and constant climbs (not that steep in general), great weather all the year around, beautiful landscapes....Probably it is true that Ferrari et al use it as a base, but that does not mean that cyclists can not do altitude training and have perfect training conditions there.

It could be the relationship is the other way around. Tenerife is a perfect training enviroment, therefore attracting a lot of athletes, which leads to Ferrari and co. setting up shop on the island because a lot of their (potential) clients will be training there.

 

[malizec]

Riding on Tenerife must get boring. There are about 15 miles of rode above 5000 ft, which is where you start to appreciate a difference.

Anyone been there who can enlighten me on the exact route these guys do on an island the size of thumbtack?

Here's a trainign ride on Tenerife by Christian VandeVelde


http://connect.garmin.com/activity/30159615

 

[sniper]

Why Tenerife?

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...cd=1&hl=de&ct=clnk&gl=de&source=www.google.de

Why Tenerife?

More doping questions followed about why Vinokourov had recently been training in Tenerife, where disgraced sports doctors Eufemiano Fuentes and Michele Ferrari are alleged to work. Vinokourov specifically denied working with Dr Ferrari.

"Fuentes might be in Tenerife, and Ferrari could be in Saint-Moritz but those are great training locations and I can still train where I want to," Vinokourov insisted.

"I was in Tenerife with a group of about twenty-five riders, including riders from Liquigas. The hotels were full. Who knows, maybe next year some French riders might even join us…

"I've been going to Tenerife since 2003 because it's the ideal location for me. There's the altitude, the weather and the accommodation to focus on training. I can't concentrate on training when I'm at home in Monaco because the family and children don't allow that. I'm not working with them (the doctors). After 2007 I realized that I don't need a coach. In 2008 and 2009 I trained on my own and this year I'm sometimes asking advice from the team coach. But I've got ten years of experience and I'm even passing on my experience to the younger riders in the team."

 

[laziali]

Why Tenerife?

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...cd=1&hl=de&ct=clnk&gl=de&source=www.google.de

Just like fraudstrong then - doesn't work with Ferrari

 

[maltiv]

I used to live there, so this is pretty much where they train: http://www.tenerife-training.net/Cy...es-Rides-Tours/Cycle-Training-Mount-Teide.php

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWQQhG3SKrg

So you admit that you've lived on Tenerife? Doper.

 

[hrotha]

Just like fraudstrong then - doesn't work with Ferrari

He might mean he didn't need a coach the same way Landis said he had things already figured out when he moved to Phonak and didn't need Ferrari anymore.

Still, "a known doper trains there, therefore he trains there to dope, therefore everyone who trains there does so to dope"... Not very solid logic, man.